While rice and paddy worth billions of rupees are being imported every year, the government has made an ambitious announcement to become self-sufficient in rice in two years. Presenting the budget for the financial year 2082/83 in both houses of the Parliament on Thursday, Finance Minister Bishnu Paudel said that Chaite paddy cultivation will be promoted so that it becomes self-sufficient in rice within two years.

Chaite paddy cultivation promotion program will be conducted in 22 districts of Terai and Inner Madhesh. I expect to produce more 1.2 million tons of rice from this," said Paudel, "I have allocated 33 million to build irrigation infrastructure for rice cultivation." While Finance Minister Poudel is saying that he will be self-sufficient in rice, 18 billion 955 million worth of rice has been imported for 10 months of the current financial year. 15.76 billion worth of rice (including kanika) has been imported.

'Chaite paddy productivity is higher than that of dry crops. But the role of state and local governments is more important than the central government to increase production," said a senior official of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development. According to the data of the ministry, chaite rice is cultivated in 120 thousand hectares. Annual production is 500,000 tons. The official said that the production should be doubled to reach an additional 1.2 million tons. "Farming should be expanded by another 80,000 hectares. Farmers should be given access to modern technology in subsidies and storage, and only then production can be increased," said the official.

Ramakrishna Regmi, senior statistics officer of the ministry, said that the productivity of Chaite rice is better than Barkhe rice. Barkhe paddy productivity is 3.8 tons per hectare. The productivity of chaite rice is 5 tons per hectare. The government has announced that it will promote the cultivation of high-value livestock in 80 municipalities of Lumbini, Karnali and the central and high hilly districts of Far West Province. The budget for purchase of fertilizers has also been increased to prevent shortage of chemical fertilizers.

"I have allocated 28.82 billion for the subsidy on chemical fertilizers," Finance Minister Paudel said, "The supply of chemical fertilizers will be increased to 600,000 tons." In the financial year 2081/82, 27.95 billion was allocated for the purchase of chemical fertilizers. Minister Paudel says that the budget has been allocated to promote organic agriculture. He also said that the support price of rice, corn, wheat, sugarcane, coffee and other products will be fixed 15 days before the time of planting the crops. Finance Minister Poudel also said that in the event of a lack of market for those items, arrangements will be made to purchase them through the Food and Trade Company Limited.